Memphis. It's a place where music isn't just played; it's created. From that legacy comes Saliva. On the quintet's 12-song Island debut, Every Six Seconds, Saliva bring the sturm und drang of hard rock together with hip-hop, grunge and sheer, unbridled mayhem, while still preserving the spirit and soulful intensity of its forebears. Every Six Seconds, the name chosen by frontman Josey Scott because "life cycles seem to happen every six seconds," is the sound of tradition beginning a new cycle and forging on into the 21st century. "We were all after the same thing -- I can say that," says Scott, a fourth-generation musician who, like most of the members of Saliva, had established himself through years of service in the Memphis music scene before forming the band. "We were after something really undeniable, sort of heavy and melodic. We were all in these bands that were not getting our rocks off stylistically; we really wanted to build great songs." On first listen to Every Six Seconds, it's easy to be enveloped by the crunchy, chugging riffs on opening track "Superstar," the rap tinges on "Doperide," or the sheer brutality .. Click Boom" and "Beg." Repeated listens will reveal unrepentant popcraft, as evidenced by the hopeful yet defiantly anti-sentimental "Hollywood," and the anthemic first single "Your Disease." It's obvious that Saliva, with rock aggression, hasn't forsaken the importance of a well-crafted song. guitarist Wayne Swinny, who recalls his first meeting with Scott: "I couldn't believe what came out of this guy. The beauty is that for all of his ability to rap and his hard-edge and his look -- he looks really aggressive and scary, almost -- when I saw him sit down with an acoustic and play this beautiful, melodic stuff with great hooks and melodies and incredible vocals, that really did it for me. I knew this was a band that could so something really special." Completed with the additions of drummer Paul Crosby and bassist Dave Novotny, Saliva came together, eventually adding Jon Montoya to complete the line up. About the name, Scott says, "it's controversial and different, and like it or not, you'll never forget it." Within the first few months of its formation, the fledgling group entered a Grammy Showcase competition sponsored by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. Despite being an unknown act at the time, Saliva -- which was among those chosen from 6,000 entries nationwide -- won the Memphis competition in January 1997 and then came out victorious in the semifinals, which were held in Austin, Texas the following month. Next came the nationals in New York City, where the band were finalist. "We want the world every time we go out to do something," says Scott. The band was thrilled that it had come from nowhere to make its mark. The group chose not to rush into a deal, however, putting out a self-titled debut independently that sold some 10,000 copies on a regional basis. After signing with Island, Saliva hooked up with producer Bob Marlette -- whom Scott refers to as "the heavy metal guru" -- for two months of recording at A&M Studios in Hollywood. The saliva catalog includes: every six seconds (island) Back into your system (island) Survival of the sickest (island) Blood stained love story (Island) Musically, Saliva may seem a million miles from Memphis, but like Elvis, the band has forged a sound that's "all shook up."

To hear the soundtrack running through Hugo Ferreira’s head, just listen to the 13 songs on the new Tantric album. With more than 50 minutes of visceral, diverse rock, 37 Channels musically mines the soul of the Tantric singer, letting listeners inside the band’s most personal and evocative album to date—and that’s saying something for a platinum-selling group with hit singles including ‘Breakdown” and “Down and Out.” Of heady new songs like “Loss for Words,” “Where Do We Go From Here?” and “Broken,” Ferreira explains with a laugh: “I can’t afford a therapist, so this is what I do. I regurgitate all my angst and pain and confusion and joy. I’m showing more, letting people into my brain and heart.”

Helping give life to 37 Channels are an impressive list of players and friends, including Shooter Jennings (on the quirky “Mosquita”); Leif Garrett, bluesy rhythm guitarist Kenny Olson (Kid Rock); Hinder singer Austin Winkler (co-vocals to “Fault” and “Bullet”); Saving Abel guitarist Scott Bartlett, Uncle Kracker axeman Kevin McCreery; and drummer Greg Upchurch (3 Doors Down). But make no mistake; if Ferreira is the only original member, 37 Channels is still very much a Tantric record: “It’s always been my baby, I’m still the guy who co-founded the band back in Louisville,” he explains. “I’ve had different incarnations throughout the years, and the sounds have changed with the different players, but his is the most “Tantric” Tantric record so far. I even did my own harmony vocals. The whole album is very articulate to what I wanted it to sound like.” While the record’s guest list is impressive, the big names are tasteful additions, not flashy add-ons. Ferreira puts it more bluntly: “I didn’t let people jerk off all over this record! I’m very protective of it. I used to let things go, but I literally oversaw every aspect of 37 Channels.”

That included writing 116 songs, recording 19, and in order to create the uncompromised music he heard in his head, playing all the instruments himself on initial versions of the songs. When he was happy with a tune, he’d then enlist the players to execute it best. “I’m a good guitar player, I'm a great piano player, I’m an ok drummer and I’m a good bass player,” he relates. “But I’m really more of a songwriter and singer than anything.” Producing the record himself (in addition to doing one song with Fuel/Collective Soul producer Malcolm Springer) Ferreira tracked 37 Channels at Nashville’s Rivergate Studios. “It was great after spending two and a half years writing at home.” Of that lengthy songwriting process, the frontman explains, “Even if a song isn’t about something that happened to me, whether it’s me thinking about that poor guy who just walked by looked hungry or whatever, I’m always cognitively thinking. My head doesn’t have a shut off switch, and the record reflects that in all the different subject matter. ‘Mosquita’ has a comical undertone, but ‘You Got What You Wanted’ and ‘Loss for Words’ are very serious songs—and they’re interconnected.”

The album title, as might be clear, references the myriad of topics playing in the singer’s mind at any given time, and comes from a lyric in the song “Rise.” “I’m the poster child for ADD,” he says, “but. I choose not to medicate for that. I’m super hyper, and when people meet me, they’re like “there are a lot of tangents on this kid!’ Or, as he also analogizes: “There are a lot of branches in this tree, and I hop from one to another a lot. The only time I can focus is when I’m in the studio and I’m by myself, with a little bottle of vodka and a pack of cigarettes.”

Despite the sometimes-painful lyrical content, 37 Channels is often a fun record, especially on tracks like “Mosquita” and ‘My Turn,’ where Ferreira, who calls himself “the antithesis of a rock star!” has a blast randomly ranting and raving. Looking back at the last several years of work that led up to 37 Channels and a new record deal for Tantric, he doesn’t regret the time taken, nor place in the current music milieu. He believes this new record has taken—and needed--his lifetime to write: “There are bits and pieces of my entire life in this record, so it really did take my whole life, and that’s why it can only be written and recorded in this way.”

As 37 Channels makes clear, Tantric is a career band at the peak of its powers, as will be borne out by a tour later this year. While there’s diversity within and among the records, the signature Ferreira vocals and sensibilities shine through. As he concludes, “I consider Tantric a boat that I float in—it’s a vessel that carries the music. So I never feel restrictions. It doesn’t have any rules. Tantric music can be super-heavy, light--or both It’s really an open book with no ending in sight.”

The Veer Union formed in 2004, when vocalist Crispin Earl and guitarist Eric Schraeder found themselves living in adjacent rehearsal studios in downtown East Vancouver. The friends had previously pursued music in different bands; Earl contributed songs to Tommy Lee's solo album and fronted the band Everything After, while Schraeder enjoyed a short stint on Hollywood Records with 40 Foot Echo. On February 22, 2012, it was announced that bassist Marc Roots and guitarist James Fiddler left the band. Schraeder grew apart from Earl after dropped from their record label Universal Motown Records

Shallow Side is a rock band through and through. Combining the driving rhythms that push the core of pop music with aggressive guitar work, carefully constructed bass passages, and a voice that smashes into focus atop the platform laid down by the music, Shallow Side has crafted a new sound with the same "no holds barred" attitude that has kept rock n roll alive and kicking since its inception.

Shallow Side continues to push the envelope, providing a viable outlet for anyone looking for the future of hard rock.

Scarlet Canary is a four-piece, female-fronted, Hard Rock band from Denver, CO. Hard rock music forged on the highways of America. Scarlet Canary’s drive for their music is only matched by the miles they drive on the road. Boasting 50,000 miles of driving and over 100 shows a year for the last few summers has earned the band a reputation as one of the hardest working rock bands in the regional scene.